The Southwestern College football team captured its fourth consecutive victory by defeating host San Bernardino Valley College, 31-20, on Oct. 8. The Jaguars enter Central Conference/East Division play Oct. 15 at College of the Desert now sporting a 4-1 overall record.
SWC hosts Orange Coast, also in league play, on Oct. 22.
Quarterback Brett Nelson (St. Francis) completed 11 of 19 passes for 185 yards and two touchdown to lead the Jags to their latest win. Cass White (San Diego) rushed 16 times for 84 yards and scored twice while Patrick Mitchell had 14 carries for 94 yards to further bolster the team’s rushing attack.
The teams traded scores in the first quarter for a 14-13 SWC lead. Nelson threw scoring passes to Jordan Jacobs (Coronado) and Robert Savoy (Roosevelt) that went for 27 and 19 yards, respectively.
The teams again exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter as the visitors held onto a tenuous 21-20 lead.
But Southwestern seized the momentum with 10 points in the final quarter to secure the victory.
The Jaguars closed out the game with 17 unanswered points as White scored on runs of 15 yards and another from one yard out and Jovan Gonzales (Olympian) kicked a 27-yard field goal.
SBVC led 20-14 after scoring the opening touchdown of the second half.
Mitchell leds SWC with 323 rushing yards, followed by Aaron Harris with 274 yards and White with 241 yards. The Jags are averaging 4.4 net yards per rushing attempt and 195 rushing yards per game.
Nelson has completed 57 percent of his passes for 999 yards with six touchdowns against three interceptions.
Marquise Deadwiler (Helix) tops Southwestern’s receivers with 25 catches for 326 yards and three touchdowns while White has caught 21 passes for 211 yards.
The Jaguars are averaging just under 200 passing yards per game.
Defensively, Southwestern is allowing 111 rushing yards per game and 190 passing yards per game.
Jags defenders have combined to make seven interceptions — one each by Troy Beckett (Willingboro), Tyrone Richardson (Chula Vista), Jake Kemp (Bonita Vista), Patrick Jarin (Eastlake), Nick Floyd (Grossmont) and Jacob Coogan (Mater Dei Catholic).
College of the Desert is also 4-1 and is coming off a 47-17 victory at Victor Valley as Charles Fortis completed five touchdown passes and Jai Steib scored twice.
Fortis finished the game with 282 passing yards while Steib rushed 13 times for 105 yards.
On the season, Fortis, a former prep standout at Bloomington Christian, has passed for 1,387 yards and 11 touchdowns while Steib (Boutte, La.) has rushed for 395 yards and scored nine times.
